Windswept
by El Reino
Summary: Kagome never imagined she would meet Kouga in the present day. And she never expected to meet him like that. K plus for language.
1. Chapter 1

All Inuyasha properties belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just futzing around with her characters.

So I've been sitting on this one for a long time. On my computer it's an enormous oneshot that grew into this weird beastie of a thing. But it's thirty pages on Word and finished. I finally pushed through and finished the thing and you can enjoy this in a continuous series of updates. I'm totally okay with criticism, just please remember I cannot fix it if you do not tell me what is wrong. Also, this is unbeta-ed so please forgive any mistakes.

I really hope you enjoy this!

**oOo**

The first time Kagome encountered him, he was sniffing her hair. She was waiting in line to check out at a little corner market when she heard something resembling a light snuffling next to her ear. Then there was an exhale. The resulting breeze tickled the light hairs surrounding her ears and-oh goodness, it was _warm_. She froze.

Was that…? Was someone really…?

A loud sniff accompanied the jostling of the hair in her ponytail. She knew who was doing it too. Well, she didn't _know_ the guy. But she knew that there had been a guy standing behind her. It had been a long line and Kagome hadn't been opposed to staring at everything and anything to pass the time. She had turned and offered the man behind her a light smile as maybe an invitation to engage in conversation. The man had looked at her so strangely that Kagome had been embarrassed for even trying. She had whirled and resolutely stared at the elderly woman in front of her.

But now this man was _sniffing_ her?

She was frozen in shock. _Who did that? _It was only until the cashier at the register sent Kagome a dull look that the former miko realized she was holding up the line. It was the out she needed. The young woman hurried up to the register and hastily set her shopping basket down with a clatter. The cashier sent a quelling look at Kagome.

Kagome just wanted to get out of there. She could sense the man standing behind her and she felt cornered. The whole thing just threw her for a loop. She had never been _smelled _while waiting in line before. Grabbing her items once they had been sluggishly placed into bags and thrusting her money at the cashier, she high-stepped it out of there.

Once safe in the fresh spring air, she spared a glance at the stranger through the glass doors. He was looking straight at her and their eyes locked. Kagome jumped and rushed away as fast as she could without looking like a crazy person.

She felt even crazier when she realized that the almost-pervert didn't look triumphant like Miroku or all the lechers on the trains did. He just looked terribly confused and… and… _sad_.

**oOo**

After about a month, the miko had already forgotten about the incident. She had laughed about it with her mom and promptly dismissed the memory. But then she ran out of sesame sauce.

The market that she frequented was a few blocks away from her house. There were others closer to the shrine, and with more selection, but the sesame sauce was what dragged Kagome out of her way. Ayumi had used a certain brand in a dish one time and Kagome was hooked. She scoured various markets and could never find it until she stepped into a small corner store that looked to be no bigger than the well house at home. It was small, yes, but it stocked a lot of items that Kagome had grown up with as a kid that were discontinued everywhere else.

So, grabbing her purse, she set off walking. It was a really lovely spring day and Kagome enjoyed the part of the year when she could break out her dresses and pack her boots away. The air was clear and everything was green and vibrant. On days like this, there was something pure in the air that reminded Kagome of the Feudal Era.

She smiled at the thought and the expression lasted all the way to the store. It was only when someone started sniffing her hair again did the smile fade. She had been standing at a waist high freezer, contemplating which fish paste to get, when she felt a presence behind her. Her eyes flickered in awareness, but she made no move. It was then that she remembered what had happened last time.

Praying that this was not the same man, the young woman stared resolutely at the fish paste. _Please go away_, she thought. _Go away, go away, go away_, _go_-

She flushed as she felt her hair being jostled and heard the familiar sounds of someone taking a whiff of her sent. Then she gasped when there was a light tug on her loose hair. He was _manhandling _her!

That was it. Kagome liked to be understanding, but that was a severe violation of personal space. She whirled, ready to face down her enemy.

"Could you _please_ stop sniffing and touching me?" She demanded.

The man was tall, tan and smiling. He handled her patented death glare quite well. His only reaction was to smile wider and look down at her with hooded blue eyes.

"My apologies," he crooned. His low voice sounded completely repentant even if his smile betrayed him.

She sent another glare his way for good measure, whirled, snapped up a jar of paste and flounced angrily away.

_Freak._

**oOo**

_Again!_ Kagome mentally shrieked. Now, Kagome never had a problem with breaking personal space boundaries, even when it came to males. She often-and happily-broke them when the urge occurred. She had traveled on a boy's back for months and after Miroku, handling lechers had been no problem. The problem laid in the fact that Inuyasha and Miroku had been her friends. She was willing to break those implied boundaries with people she trusted.

This man was a stranger. Who knew what gross things he was thinking when he was sniffing her? They also were not in the Feudal Era anymore. Kagome could not even blame the man's strange behavior on strange youkai customs… She couldn't really blame his behavior on anything. Which weirded her out. What was he doing?

She had tried her best to avoid any more encounters. The next time, Kagome went only a few minutes before closing time and had even scouted the aisles to see if anyone else was around. The coast was apparently clear.

She just wanted to do her shopping in peace.

It had been a really rough day. A _really_ rough day. So she felt a little more than justified when she whirled around and hissed: "Enough!" What she was not counting on was the unusually strong flare of reiki she sent off. Even odder, the man winced and pulled back as if… as if…

Before she could even think to apologize, the man had disappeared. One minute he was there, and the next he was not.

Kagome dropped her basket full of fresh produce in shock and leaned against a nearby fruit stand. He had pulled back as if… as if she had burned him. As if he were _youkai. _

**oOo**

The whole situation understandably sent Kagome into a tizzy. She had searched for so many years for any sign of youkai. She had walked through many different neighborhoods of Tokyo with her reiki fanning out behind her, diligently feeling around for anything. When she went to visit family in the countryside, she did the same thing. She carefully peered at faces and followed up on everything that even hinted at having spiritual connotations and power. She had tried so many things that she had become exhausted, both physically and mentally.

This frenzied search had lasted until she was eighteen. Her whole family was out: Souta at school, Mrs. Higurashi shopping and Grandpa visiting friends. The house was just so quiet without them… and in the quiet there had been laugher tickling the fringes of Kagome's consciousness. _Their _laughter.

She had fallen to the knees in the middle of the hallway and gasped for breath. It was then she realized that she had not been searching. She had been running away from the truth. The painful truth that her friends were truly and irrevocably gone. Her friends were gone and she had not faced up to the fact that she missed them more than her little heart and patched-up soul could bear.

So it was there, in the middle of her hallway that Kagome buried her face in her hands and wept. She mourned like she had only done once before for her father and grandmother.

One lesson she had learned from the loss of her father was the difference between wallowing in the past and remembering it instead. Kagome could either do one of two things. She could be consumed by reliving memories and neglecting to make new ones. Or she could honor the Inu-tachi's memories by remembering them fondly, but not letting grief overtake her at just the mere thought of them.

In the name of her friends, she chose the latter. And lived for the first time since the well closed and she wished the Shikon no Tama out of existence.

But Kagome's optimism was a terrifying force to be reckoned with. Just because she probably would never see any youkai she knew, did not mean that she would never see any youkai at all, she reasoned. So the miko had been alert. She never tore herself apart searching for them anymore, but the idea that one might pop up still lay dormant in her mind.

Now she had found one and almost purified him. Kagome could smack herself for her stupidity. There were so many things she wanted to ask him. Could they have been friends? Did he know any of the youkai she knew? Was he even that old? He seemed human, how was that possible? Were there more like him? Would he be terribly mad that she zapped him?

The possibilities were endless.

She had blown it. Miserably. He did not show up again. She had gone back to the store as many times as she could spare. She even timed her appearances to the previous times of the day that they had run into each other. Nothing. He had simply vanished. The woman even considered asking around to see if anyone had seen him, but dismissed it as a stupid idea. She wasn't even sure what he looked like other than; tall, tan and a wide smile.

To soothe the logical side of her brain, she recognized that she would probably never see the man again. That stupid optimism, however, stayed. It caused her to keep her spiritual powers swirling lightly around her, ready to sense any hint of youki. She justified the expenditure by calling it a precaution in case he was prone to violence. (It did not seem like he was; he had run away instead of lashing out.)

So, with that in mind, she waited. Three unbelievably long weeks passed. When the youkai did show up again, Kagome encountered him when she least expected it. Of course, it always worked that way. One of her grandfather's favorite proverbs was about the very phenomenon.

It was fortuitous then, that her granddad would have his granddaughter sweeping the shrine steps when her waiting came to an end. She was humming an off key song and too lost in her thoughts to notice a man slowly making his way up the stairs towards her. If she could have of seen herself, she would have wondered what kind of first impression she made.

She was still on stair number three, going down, humming to nothing. A moderate breeze and her constantly moving powers gently arranged her hair into something more wild.

She looked windswept.

The man's steps faltered briefly. After a brief moment of stillness, he walked up towards Kagome more briskly than before. This jerky movement that caught her eye. She glanced up and squinted at the newcomer.

Recognition hit her hard and she gasped. Dropping her broom, she rushed to meet the stranger halfway. This time, she made sure to clamp down on her reiki, hard. Brazenly grabbing his hands in what she would later see as an amusing role reversal, she immediately started apologizing.

"It's you! Oh Kami, _Iamsosorry_! If I had known you were-" she looked around and dropped her volume briefly "-_you know_-I would have never done that. I didn't even know I was until it was too late and-"

The man had been wearing so serious of an expression; it seemed to have been weighing down his face. As she spoke the stern look had melted to a small smile that bloomed into a full out grin.

"Stop." He ordered, gently. "Stop and let _me_ apologize."

"But you don't have to! I was the one-"

"Perfectly justifiable." He intoned smoothly. "What you did was perfectly justifiable, considering the circumstances. You were protecting yourself."

Kagome still felt guilty, but nodded. She moved to take her hands from his, but he held fast. Her eyes widened as he leaned in and gently took a sniff of her hair.

His voice gentled even more when he spoke next. The look in his eyes made Kagome blush despite herself. "I'm sorry for imposing myself on you. I just wanted to make sure it was really… you."

Kagome examined his face for the first time. It was lean and angular. His eyes were ice blue and his black hair was so short with a long fringe that hung in front of his eyes. But there was something there she recognized. Something that reminded her of long hair and a cocky grin. As she searched his face, his hidden youki carefully unfurled and gingerly touched her skin in welcome. She gasped at the familiar feeling.

"K-kouga?" She mewed, bewildered. _It's him, it's him, it's him_…

His smile widened. "Kagome."

It _was_ him!

She threw herself into his arms so fast that she knocked him down a step or two. But he kept his balance and his arms wrapped around her waist in response. She buried her fingers in his short hair and tried to keep the tears at bay. He was laughing, full belly laughs that reverberated through Kagome's whole being.

She was so excited that she was shaking. Never, never, never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that Kouga would survive. She had hoped that maybe youkai did live that long, but she had tried to keep a lid on it to save herself from disappointment. Yet, there he was. He was pleasantly warm beneath her and his grip was strong and firm despite the years.

Kagome suddenly pulled back and studied Kouga's face. He did not look half as old as she would have expected. He looked to be in his middle to late twenties. The only thing that seemed really different to her was his hair and his more pronounced laugh lines.

"You look so young," she exclaimed. "You hardly look like five-hundred years have passed."

His answering smirk communicated a kind of lazy contentment. She briefly wondered exactly how many smiles Kouga possessed and if she would ever learn them all. It took a while before she realized she was staring and she blushed.

"I'm just not used to you without hair," she mumbled as she kept a hold of one of his hands and lightly pulled him up the shrine stairs. "Can you talk?" She asked. "Do you have time?"

He picked up the discarded broom as they passed it. "I do. Do you?"

"Of course! It's not every day an old friend comes to visit!" She paused and gave him a wistful look. She reached over and gently touched the rounded curve of his ear. Too lost in her memories, she missed his shiver. "I thought you were all gone…" She sighed.

Kouga pulled her into another hug. This one was still fierce, but instead of Kagome enveloping him, he enveloped her. He cradled her head as she buried her face in his chest.

"I'm very sorry, Darling."

There was a small sobbing noise and Kagome belatedly realized she was crying. She tried to pull away and apologize. This was supposed to be a happy occasion and she was ruining it with her tears.

He just held her tighter and made small soothing noises. "Shh, it's okay, Darling. It's okay to cry."

With that declaration, a dam hidden in the depths of Kagome's heart burst. She was just so _relieved_. Even her stubborn optimism had been decaying into something less pure and a little bitter. Kouga's return had made everything okay. It justified her stubbornness. It justified her hope. It made her feel less foolish for holding onto childish belief.

This ancient friend of hers was practically back from the dead. She was overcome by gladness. Her sorrow was forgotten as she buried her face into his chest and cried. He held her with surprising gentleness, his grip erasing her embarrassment. She instinctively knew it was safe to be so open.

For the second time since she had come back, she realized that it was truly okay to cry.

**oOo**

Coming up: Kouga meets the folks.


	2. Chapter 2

All Inuyasha properties belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Enjoy!

**oOo**

The green tea slid down Kagome's parched throat with ease. She sent Kouga a small smile, half hidden by her teacup, as her mother asked the man questions.

Ms. Higurashi had walked out of her house this morning, wondering where the crying was coming from. She had been extremely surprised to see a strange man cradling her hysterical daughter.

His smile was the only thing that stopped her from her worst-case scenario plans of hitting him over the head with her purse. It was an apologetic smile for his behavior, but a tender one as well. The mother had stopped and carefully examined the scene. One of his hands cradled the back of Kagome's head, his fingers tangled in her long locks. The other was wrapped firmly around her shoulders and was rubbing small circles on her upper back.

It was Kagome's grip on the stranger that silenced all of Ms. Higurashi's mental warning alarms. Kagome's hands were at the man's sides, gripping his shirt like he was some kind of anchor. He was her support.

The older woman was very familiar with her daughter's need for comfort. On one hand, it stung that Kagome still needed such emotional help after all the time Ms. Higurashi had spent providing just that. One the other, it soothed her to know that Kagome had someone else to rely on. Maybe he could pick up the parts that Ms. Higurashi did not understand.

The stranger met Ms. Higurashi's gaze evenly. She nodded her approval, for now. Their body language and his willingness to comfort her daughter satisfied her motherly instincts. She would just have to get to know this young gentleman later.

She had. As soon as the two walked through the front door, Ms. Higuarshi had herded them both to the living room table for tea and conversation. Kagome had gratefully taken the tissue handed to her before making introductions.

"Mom, this is Kouga. Kouga, this is my mom, Ms. Higurashi." She mumbled, dabbing at her face.

"Please, call me Hanako." Ms. Higurashi interjected smoothly.

Kouga gave a small bow in respect. "Pleasure to meet you, Hanako-san."

The woman in question nodded happily at his manners. "You as well. Tea?"

Once the tea was poured and everyone was seated, Kagome tried to smooth things over with her mother. Kagome was a grown woman, but the only real boys Kagome had ever talked about were the ones from the Feudal Era or a random co-worker. Seeing Kagome draped around an unknown male was a very strange development indeed.

"Mom, Kouga is someone I knew from… from Before."

The elder woman immediately picked up on the code. "Before" stood for "before the well closed" and was a significant marker in all of their lives. She turned surprised eyes to the young man sitting next to her daughter. He looked so young, hardly older than her daughter. Kouga looked respectfully amused at her surprise.

"He's a youkai, Mom. They… they age differently."

"So you have been around all this time?"

Kouga nodded. "I may look young, but I have lived for a while."

"Five _hundred_ years?"

Kagome and Kouga traded a look before he replied with that lazy grin of his. "Longer."

The questions had started pouring out and had not stopped. Kagome watched, fascinated. At first, she was worried, because her mother was terribly nice but voraciously inquisitive as well. Hanako had not always been so. Kagome suspected that her mother had become so After. After the well had closed, the older woman had wanted to know what had happened that had made Kagome such a mess. She understood that her daughter was capable of forming deep emotional ties with just about everyone. So she wanted to know what kind of ties they were.

Kouga did not seem to mind the inquisition. In fact, he did not seem to mind much of anything at all. He knelt at the low table, looking so _calm_. The Kouga that Kagome had known before was anything but calm. He had been similar to the whirlwind that followed him when he ran. He was gruff and boisterous and could never sit still.

In her living room he was _relaxed_, Kagome realized with awe. Even as he was peppered with questions about Before, he looked like nothing could touch him. It was a strange scene for Kagome to witness. He looked so self assured without looking remotely like the cocky wolf he had been before.

She didn't realize how curious she found it until his eyes met hers. She jolted, realizing she was staring once again. His eyes sparkled at her before returning to her mother.

"You claimed my daughter as your 'woman,' didn't you?" Hanako demanded.

Kouga nodded, not even flustered. "I did, Hanako-san. Your daughter is a remarkable woman and it is custom for wolves to declare their desire in such a way."

"You tried to_ claim_ my daughter?" If Kagome didn't know better, she would say there was ice in her mother's voice.

Kouga's smile simply flared to life. "Tried, being the main word. I never could understand that Kagome wasn't someone to be _claimed_."

No. No way that this was Kouga, Kagome thought as she sipped her tea again. At first, it had been funny, seeing Kouga sitting in her living room. But now, Kagome was just gobsmacked. The wolf prince she had left in the Feudal Era was every bit the cocky teenager that Kagome_ so_ didn't need in her life. _This_ Kouga was… was…

Well she did not really know what he was. It was confusing and flustering her. She thought she _knew_ him. She could predict every word out of his mouth in the Feudal Era. Now, even his speech was different, almost more sophisticated.

The confusion and her previous crying session were giving her a headache.

Her mother continued, still determined to find something that Kagome could only guess at. "And what are your intentions towards my daughter now?"

Oh Kami, she hadn't even asked Hojo that. Kagome opened her mouth, ready to interject when Kouga smoothly stepped in.

"I wish to become her friend. I feel that while I always made my intentions clear, I never really communicated with your daughter. I wish to do so now."

Something sparked to life behind Hanako's eyes and she sat back, satisfied. She nodded her approval with a soft smile that was every bit as friendly as Kagome's.

The tension seemed to leak out of the room and Kagome felt it in her bones. She yawned and both people in the room noticed it with a frown.

"I should go," Kouga said, rolling to his feet.

"But you just got here," she protested as he pulled her up.

"Yes, but I think that's enough excitement for now. You look exhausted," he observed, running a light finger over the bags under her eyes.

"I'm fine," she mumbled before another yawn hit her.

He chuckled at her stubbornness. "It's okay, I will see you tomorrow."

Kagome brightened. "Tomorrow?"

"Yup." And suddenly he looked just like the teenaged prince she used to know.

She pulled him into a fierce hug. "Okay. I can wait for tomorrow."

He hugged back just as tightly before reluctantly detangling himself. He caught one of her hands and patted it before turning and saying his goodbyes to her mother. With a bow, he loped out of the house. Kagome watched him make his way down the shrine stairs and didn't move until he was around the corner and gone.

**oOo**

Kagome powered through her chores, interrupted by brief spats of absentmindedness. She would be working on her previously neglected sweeping job before her movements were arrested by a stray train of thought.

_Kouga didn't have hair. Kouga was alive. Was anyone else alive? Oh Kami, there were actual youkai still around. What if nobody else was alive? Kouga grew up. He didn't call me his woman. Why? Why would I want him to? Why was he sniffing me? No one told him I was alive? Oh whoa, are Ginta and Hakkaku still around too?_

These questions ran themselves around in her head until she could not take the strain anymore. When Kouga made his way to where Kagome had thrown herself under the Goshinboku, she just said the first thing that came to mind.

"Ginta and Hakkaku? How are they?"

Kouga's eyes crinkled as he laughed. "What, no hello? Not even a hug this time?"

Her face colored slightly as he sat down next to her. "Sorry. Hi."

"Hello," he greeted as he stretched out in the shade. "How are you?"

"Good," she lied, then immediately corrected herself. "Well no, not really. I'm… I'm kind of all over the place today. My mother said that if I was just going to be distracted, I could just be distracted over here and out of the way." She shrugged at her spot near the God-Tree.

Kouga's expression softened and he looked at the few visitors milling around the shrine grounds. "Is it me?" He asked.

"No! No, it's just that…" She turned so she could look at him in the face. "I have so many questions and then… and then it is you! You've changed so much!"

He titled his head towards her. "How have I changed?" He asked while Kagome wondered how he could look so joyful all the time.

She motioned frantically towards him while her words failed her. Seeing him dressed in a green polo, a pair of dark jeans and battered tennis shoes just compounded on her assertion. His hair was still so short, his claws were either gone or filed, his tail was gone, and his headband had disappeared. Every time she looked at him, it seemed like she picked up on something strange about his appearance.

He also acted so differently. His signature loud boasting had transferred into a subtle swagger. Instead of lavishing unwanted affection all over Kagome, he instead treated her to lingering, fond looks that she couldn't make heads or tails of.

It was almost like meeting a stranger and it made Kagome feel uncomfortable.

He laughed and caught one of her hands, stilling her. "Start with the simple things first."

"You look old." She said without thinking.

He placed a free hand on his heart. "Ouch! That's brutal, Kagome." He teased.

She blushed in embarrassment and shook her head. "No, I didn't mean it like _that_. You just look older."

"How old do I look, then?" He asked, leaning in and presenting his face for inspection.

She took his offering and studied his features carefully before answering. "Twenty-six."

He sat back, rubbing his stubble free chin with a smug grin. "Not bad, not bad at all for five hundred years."

She sat back too, stunned by his youth while simultaneously trying to get used to his older self. "You mean to tell me that you've only aged ten years over the past five _centuries_? Whoa."

He light heartedly shrugged. "Demon genes, what can I say?"

The former miko pulled up her knees to her chest and slumped into them. She picked at the fabric of her red _hakama_ idly. She used to hate the miko garb because it was too easy to derive comparisons between her and Kiyko when they both wore it. But when she had gotten stuck, the traditional clothing reminded her of a very physical link to the past.

"I… I feel like we're so different now." She rested her cheek on her knee and gazed forlornly at him. "It's seems like I don't really know you that well anymore." She confessed.

He sighed and gazed out at the shrine grass again. His eyes captured Kagome's attention. There were so many different things about him, but his eyes were the same. Nostalgia caught in Kagome's throat, and she swallowed, trying to get the knot out.

"We have changed and that's something neither of us can help." He threw himself on the ground, sticking his hands behind his head. He gazed up at the leaves overhead briefly, before throwing another grin her way. "We're just going have to get to know each other again, then." He stuck his hand out towards her. "Hi. I'm Kouga."

She giggled, which is what he had been aiming for. "Hi. I'm Kagome." She stated with a firm handshake.

"Hello, Kagome-san," he said with a wink. "It's very nice to meet you. Do you happen to work here by any chance?"

His teasing was rewarded with a large smile. After spending such a long time without it, he savored the sight.

"I do." She responded. "I'm a shrine maiden, born and raised here."

He gasped dramatically. "This is _your_ shrine?"

"Haha, it's my family's shrine, yes."

"Well, it's an honor to meet you."

She sniffed and stuck her nose in the air. "As it should be."

He couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped him. She looked so imperious but delight twinkled in those deep eyes of hers, ruining the effect. The wolf continued the game once he had gotten himself back under control.

"How old are you, Miko-san?"

"I'm twenty," she answered cheerfully. "How old are _you_, Kouga-san?"

"Twenty-six." He responded cheekily and Kagome collapsed into giggles.

She had relaxed. The miko had stopped curling into herself, and now her limbs were stretched out, with her hands on the grass behind her. She looked vaguely happy, which cheered the youkai considerably. She may have changed, but being joyful was a fundamental part of her personality. It would be terrible if that changed.

Still breathless from laughter, Kagome tried to continue. "W-what brings you to the Higurashi Shrine today?"

"Well," he started, "I was out of the country for a few years. When I came back, I saw that the school girls were wearing skirts- this -big." He held his forefinger and thumb an inch apart as demonstration. "Now, I used to have a friend that used to wear skirts like that too. So I tried to seek her out and hoped I hadn't missed her. But it was pretty hard, because the only person that knew _when_ she was never really liked me that much. And it's never a good thing when a grown man hangs around a junior high school, you know?"

She giggled at the thought of Kouga lurking in front of her school. "No, no it's not." She agreed.

He sighed deeply, as if he had discovered the consequences of doing that first hand. "I had everyone I knew that was in the area look for my friend and no one could find her. So one day, I'm standing in line to buy my groceries and there's this woman in front of me. The only reason I really paid attention was because her hair smelled _amazing_. And I couldn't help but realizing that it smelled really, really familiar. So I started sniffing her ponytail."

Kagome gasped in shock like this whole scenario was strange to her. "You did? But, isn't that kind of breaking personal boundaries?"

He nodded gleefully. "Yeah. And she stomped away so fast that I didn't have time to figure out why it was so familiar."

"I don't _stomp_," she interjected but he continued as if she had not said anything.

"By the second time though, I realized who she was." He pinned her with a gaze that took Kagome's breath away. "And I was extremely shocked and extremely happy. I had almost given up hope."

His words covered her like a blanket. She felt warmth creep up her neck and it startled her back into breathing. Breaking his gaze, she blinked and cleared her throat.

"So what happened?"

His eyes stayed piercing, but the rest of him relaxed. "She left before I could say anything."

"That's horrible!" She grinned.

"It was! Then, I saw her again and thought: 'Good, this is my chance!' I wasn't even going to sniff her but I guessed she sensed me behind her. She whirled around so fast; I thought she was going to hit me."

Kagome felt guilty about laughing, so she smothered her giggles behind her hands. "Did she?"

"Even worse!" He exclaimed. "She tried to purify me!"

Kouga's faked hysterics sent Kagome into another fit of laughter.

"I-I am really sorry by the way."

He waved it off, laughing himself. "I already said it's alright. It makes sense. I shouldn't antagonize a miko."

"Hmm," she agreed and looked out at the shrine grounds once again. They sat there in companionable silence for a few minutes before Kouga spoke.

"They're great."

"Who's great?"

"Ginta and Hakkaku. Forgot already?"

Kagome waved off his teasing. "No! Of course not." She tilted her head towards him and smiled with her whole body. "They're great?"

"Hai." He confirmed. "They still run things when I'm away… which tends to be a lot."

Kagome tilted her head, silently asking for more information, but he waved it off.

"You don't want to hear about my work life, it's pretty boring."

She disagreed. "You work?"

He smiled and shrugged. "Some people would say that I don't work enough." He paused, and the smile dropped off his face. The sun suddenly stopped reaching them through the leaves above. The miko shivered.

"I would think that there are a few other things you would like to know about," he whispered.

_Inuyasha. _He was the elephant-or rather hanyou-in the gap between them. She had wanted desperately to ask, but didn't believe Kouga would willingly volunteer information.

She looked away, feeling guilty for thinking about Inuyasha so much when his rival lay right next to her. To her surprise, Kouga grabbed her hand and gently encouraged her to scoot closer. His eyes were sad instead of angry or jealous. When she was about a handbreadth away, the wolf youkai sat up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Feeling uncomfortable with his closeness, she tried to pull away at first. His touch was gentle while his grip was firm.

He matched her gaze evenly. He was offering comfort for what he was about to reveal. The realization that his news would require comfort caused her to slump into his side.

"Dog-breath lived a stupidly long life," Kouga began after a pause. Even though his words were harsh, the way he said it seemed more congenial than angry. "He never changed. His first solution was to swing his sword and ask questions later… But he never forgot you." Kouga pinned her with a gaze. "No one did. Not the two humans who traveled with you. They even named their first daughter after you, and had a whole litter of pups. The kitsune barely made it through the first few years. The mutt was able to help him and now the kitsune has five tails." Kouga took a breath.

"Inuyasha searched for you for a very long time, wanting to make sure you were safe. We came in contact with each other near the end, because of my duties. He felt the years pressing in on him and told me that if he couldn't find you in time, then he would tell me all he knew. He needed someone to take care of you.

"I had left and when I came back, the hanyou was gone. I never got to hear where you were, which I think he planned that way, the bastard. But… he died at a hospital in Tokyo twenty years ago, two floors down from where a baby was being born to a young couple that went by the name of Higurashi."

Kagome, who had already been in tears when Kouga first mentioned "Dog-breath," burst into sobs at that statement. He had come for her! All those years of mourning and grieving and _waiting_ were in vain. He had come for her; he just couldn't make it.

"I-I-I was… a-always soooo a-angry." She hiccupped. "He-He p-p-promised to protect me, and n-never showed up. S-sometimes I… I ha-hated him!" She buried her head into Kouga's chest, and for the second time, he held her in comfort.

"I honestly doubt you hated him," Kouga soothed. "You were a lot of things, but everyone could tell of your loyalty to the ones you loved. And… and you loved him most of all."

Kagome didn't know what to think. She just remembered being so angry. She had spent so much time calling Inuyasha a hypocrite for promising protection to two women and never really going through with it. After that fateful day when she finally let go, she had thought she had let go of that anger.

When Kouga spoke, the guilt crashed down on her as she realized that maybe she had not let go at all. She knew her inner thoughts. No matter what Kouga said, she had been _angry_. Maybe not at Inuyasha necessarily, but it was his face that was attached to it. He symbolized the cruel workings of Fate.

But he was always a pawn of fate too, wasn't he? How must it have felt for him? Did he know she was coming into the world at the same time he was coming out of it?

Just as Kagome felt guilty again for not thinking of Inuyasha's feelings, Kouga spoke up. His voice rumbled through his chest and it was strangely soothing. He told her stories. He told her of the first time they had seen each other after the fall of Naraku. It was vaguely amusing, their posturing and insults were the same. When Kouga had bitterly asked if Inuyasha was treating Kagome well, all of their anger seemed to fall apart.

They bonded in a strange way over her. They both promised to find her, to protect her. _To keep her_, Kouga added mentally, but never said out loud. They both thought that the first person to find her would be the one who would get to claim her.

He looked down at the sobbing woman in his arms and chastised himself. All this time, he was still hell bent on claiming her, even as tears for another stained his shirt. He knew-dammit-he _knew_ that she would never be claimed. She was too headstrong, too defiant to just roll over and allow herself to be stuck with someone she did not want. Despite this, he tried to pretend that if he said it enough, it would make it so.

Five hundred years and he still hadn't figured that out.

Kouga did figure one thing out though. The hanyou doubted if he would make it to Kagome in time. Inuyasha had left Kouga with enough information to sustain Kagome. Kouga knew about her friends, her kit and what happened to most of their mutual friends. The only thing Inuyasha had not given him was Kagome's location, just in case. His arms tightened around the woman in a brief wave of possessive anger. He had wasted so much time trying to find her all because the hanyou wanted her for himself.

Taking a deep breath of her scent, Kouga knew he couldn't really blame the half-breed.

The wolf would have done the same thing.

**oOo**


	3. Chapter 3

All Inuyasha properties belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

I just wanted to give a big shout out to Someones Desire for reviewing the past two chapters. Also my thanks goes to: IKasha, MegaKiraraLover, Someones Desire, fiona91, and tigeraangel for putting this on their alerts; as well as MegaKiraraLover and Someones Desire for putting this on their favorites. I appreciate the support!

Enjoy!

**oOo**

The wolf never ran out of stories. He had funny ones about his pack and about little pups taking their first breath of spring air. He had bittersweet ones about a perverted monk and a fierce demon slayer and their brood. He had ones about Inuyasha that never failed to make her cry. He tried to stop telling her them, but she smiled and placed a hand on his arm.

"Please," she would ask. "I-I just… I just miss them all so much. I want to hear everything you know."

And he was willing to give her anything she asked for, even all of his memories.

That spot under the Goshinboku where she had cried for Kouga's rival, became_ their_ spot. It was not a really nice place to sit. The tree's branches had prevented rainfall from reaching that little half-circle of space. So there was no grass to cushion them, just dirt that stuck to their backsides and roots that dug into their legs. The sun hardly reached it either, so when it got chilly, the breeze would cause Kagome to shiver. The tree was hard against their back and there was a laundry list of things that they could both find fault with that little spot.

For all the faults it did have, it also had some things that endeared them both to the spot. It was secluded enough to be private, but not private enough to be uncomfortable. It was an undeniable link to their shared past. They could feel the ancient energy emitted by the plant and sometimes felt very young compared to this stalwart. There were two giant roots that surrounded the spot and they fit perfectly sitting side by side in that little alcove.

So every Monday, he would come and tell her a story.

"Why Monday?" She would ask when he said that was the only day he could spare.

"It's my day off." He stated. The truth was that he needed the disciplined schedule, because he would come every day if he could.

But he was determined not to scare her off, so he gave himself a schedule, a regime. No sudden declarations of love would come from him. Oh no. If he only saw her one day a week, he could tamp down on his impulsiveness to just give in, sweep her away and just _kiss her already_. Maybe it was his impulsiveness that scared her off before. Maybe he just needed to be structured, calmer.

Maybe she had never returned his advances in the Feudal Era because she was in love with someone else.

The thought stung sharply at his heart so he abandoned thinking about it for too long. Even when he gave in and told her a story about Inuyasha, he ignored his fierce jealousy.

She might still be in love with someone else. And while Kouga dreamed of a day when that would not be so, he honestly did not know what he would do if she was in love with _him_. He never grasped the concept that one day she could look into his eyes and proclaim her love and _actually mean it_.

His daydreams were leftovers from when he was still young and his viewpoints on love were naïve. He still thought love was a mighty declaration, so he thought he was hiding his adoration for Kagome well. He hid it behind the hugs and the pet names and his steady dedication to her. She never seemed to notice.

Then he would lock gazes with Hanako, and the woman knew-dammit-she knew how lost Kouga was. Because he had stopped seeing Kagome as his idolized teenaged crush. He saw her with her new curves and glimpsed the pain and bitterness behind her eyes and realized she was different. She was so painfully different from the sunny miko who had time for a wolf who threw around words like "mate" and "love" like they were nothing. Instead he found a miko who defined her life with words like "After" and "Before" like they defined when she had stopped being happy.

She had grieved, yes.

But she had never let go.

And she had a hard time with him, because she still saw him as the being from her past.

It made him angry sometimes. Not at her, only at fate.

He had changed. He had matured and learned what it was like to admire a woman compared to what it was like to love her. His duties had changed from being in charge of a clan, to being in charge of a whole way of life. His hair had been cut off, the sword at his hip had been replaced with a cell phone, his clothes had morphed with the passing styles and now he could only run freely in a place that transcended this plane.

So of course he had changed, and it threw the miko off. She had expected the person from her memories, not this strange creature who was secure enough in his power to refrain from spouting off words of superiority all the time.

He confined himself to Mondays because he wanted to take it slow. It was to prevent himself from becoming frustrated as the miko fused the teenager from her memories into the full-grown youkai he was now. The routine kept himself from reverting back to the awkward mess he had been that needed to spout off scary things like "_I would do _anything_ to see that darkness in your eyes disappear_."

And well, he kept himself to Mondays because Hanako's eyes burned into him. She knew he could take her daughter. He could snare Kagome with stories of the past and steal her away. Or he could disappear and leave her with nothing but a shattered heart again. So out of respect, he stayed away for as long as he could. A whole week without her, to soothe a mother's soul.

_I'm not going to hurt her if I can help it._

**oOo**

"So what exactly does a shrine maiden nowadays do?" Kouga asked, picking up another rice ball. He had picked her up an hour earlier, announcing his intentions on taking her on an impromptu picnic. Despite it being the rainy season, the day was particularly balmy and the wolf in Kouga wanted nothing more than to bask in the sun.

Kagome had asked him to give her a few minutes and then came back with a little basket full of food. Knowing he was coming, she had prepared a little meal for them to enjoy.

Now Kouga liked rice balls just as much as the next guy. But when Kagome asked if he liked them and admitted she had made the onigiri herself, he couldn't help thinking it was the best human food he had ever tasted. Would she do that, cook for him, if their relationship ever progressed to mating? Would she stand in_ their_ kitchen, lovingly pressing rice into the right shape with her lithe fingers?

He shivered and shoved the rice ball in his mouth before he said something stupid.

"Not much," Kagome sighed in response to his first question. "I used to deal with the tourists, but Mom's English is so much better than mine. _After_, I mostly started dealing with the regulars and those looking for old-fashioned comfort."

She looked out over the small park they were sitting in and started playing with the grass next to her legs. From her ankles to a few inches over her knees, her sundress bared those limbs to the world. Kouga would be a dirty liar if he didn't admit that they were a little distracting.

The despondency in her voice and scent kept his eyes firmly on her face this time. He carefully examined every minute movement and the little furrow in her brow, trying to ferret out the cause of the problem.

She avoided looking at him, which frustrated him. Kagome always refused to look at him when something was wrong. He wanted to help. He wanted her to stop hiding things from him.

The wolf youkai was about to reach for her hands when she brought them up to look at them.

"I just think that I used to feel so _useless_ in the Feudal Era, because I could never control my power enough. Now I feel so useless because I have this power and I _don't_ use it." She finally met his eyes, and his breath caught even as he kept his gaze characteristically steady.

She was _confiding_ in him. And even though the hidden message in her gaze was not one of supplication, he felt like she would finally be receptive to his help. His scent spiked in excitement and he was a little grateful she could not smell it or else it would have been embarrassing.

Kagome continued. "There are couples, and the sick and people who come that I could help, and I try so hard. But how do you convince people to just accept a miracle healing? Even if it's not a miracle? I have all of this knowledge about traditional medicine, but people would never believe me."

Kouga thought about it and cautiously offered his advice. "Many people nowadays like traditional medicine more than they do doctors. And you're in a perfect position."

"How?" She blinked in surprise.

He grinned. "You're a shrine maiden. As a 'miko' you have more clout. You are learned about history, why not historical healing rituals as well? Many people would buy herbal medicines and teas from you, and if they're charged with a little reiki… well," he grinned playfully. "Who would know?"

Her eyes widened in wonder. "You mean… I could actually do something…" Her face broke out into a smile and she launched herself over at him to give him a tight hug. She pulled back and peered at his face. "You're crafty."

He grinned and wondered if he would be pushing his luck if he wrapped his arms around her too. "I know."

**oOo**

"So what does a wolf Prince nowadays do?" She asked as she swept a corner of her shrine compound. Kouga leant on a wall, carefully watching her with all of his senses. Her face was the picture of innocence but her scent was awash with curiosity.

He gave a small little huff of laughter, both at her coyness and at his old title. "Ah. I'm a little too old to be a Prince anymore."

Her eyes flickered up to his in apology. "I didn't realize-"

He waved it off. "You didn't know."

She stopped and wrapped her hands over the top of her broom, placing her chin on them. "So what _is_ your title?"

"I have many. Some nicer than others." His eyes twinkled.

It was her turn to huff. Her pretty little lips turned down into a small pout. "You're not telling me anything. Why?"

It was her turn for her gaze to turn piercing. He looked away, suddenly unable to meet the gaze of the miko who had secured his affection so long ago.

"It's a long story."

"I love stories."

He studied her. Was he willing to tell her? Would she be able to handle it? He would have to think about it.

**oOo**

Kouga fiercely believed in keeping his work and his personal life separate. It was a fairly new idea, spawned by the different conditions of his life. Before, as a Prince, his pack was his life. Every part of it, even the "work" was so intertwined. His happiness was his people's happiness; the peace of his pack was his peace. Everything they did reflected on him in some way, and he depended on them just as much as they did him.

As things started to change and his pack left to find shelter from the humans that were taking over Japan, Kouga started to realize something. He was his own person. He was separated from his pack.

Technically, a wolf is never separate from their pack. Especially him, since he had formed such a strong bond with every one of them that accepted his authority. But when they went to the other side of the Great Divide, he was provided with a choice. Stay with the packmates that wanted to leave, or stay with the ones that did not mind blending into human culture. He wanted to be with both.

But even for youkai, some things are impossible. So he took the next best choice. He accepted Sesshomaru's offer. He would protect the Divide. In that way, he could jump to one side and visit some of his clan while always staying close to the others on the ningen side.

So close, and yet he still was not with anyone. As time moved on, Kouga had to learn how to live on his own. No more sleeping in a pile of warm bodies or waking up to a yawning pup. No more living and breathing and _dying_ for his pack.

He had become solitary.

A lone wolf.

The concept was laughable, especially for someone as sociable as Kouga. In essence, he still was Pack Leader. He still made the major decisions and still was responsible for the safety and well-fare of his wolves. But he was so…_separated_.

His instincts hated it. The physical and mental space between him and everyone was so great now.

So when he was attacked, his instincts reached out to the only one he had begun to feel that overwhelming closeness with again. Despite his mind's protests: work was supposed to be _separate_. But no more.

He didn't hate the thought as much as he should.


	4. Chapter 4

All Inuyasha properties belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

Big thanks goes out to Someone's Desire and fiona91 for reviewing! Also to: Kuromeru hi Tsuki, Lorelei evans, MangaAndAnimeFairy, SKiraNova, UndeadForever16, VixenKitsune147, fiona91, pokemoneeveeforever and ms. twistedmischevious for placing this on their alerts! As well as to: UndeadForever16, VixenKitsune147, fiona91 and pokemoneeveeforever for putting this on their favorites! Thanks guys!

One more chapter left after this! Enjoy!

**oOo**

A piercing howl rent the night sky. A sharp burst of youki slammed Kagome in the chest, and she woke up gasping. Rapidly pulling herself up into a sitting position, she tried to force her sluggish brain to shake off her sleep state and comprehend what was going on. It did not take her long as she realized why the distressed youki felt so familiar.

_Kouga! _Her instincts screamed.

She bolted out of bed and proved her years of practice tiptoeing around the house by nimbly-and quietly-running to the front door. As soon as she opened it, a body that had been leaning on the doorframe slumped forward. She barely caught him.

"K-Kouga?" She stammered.

Her arms wrapped under his armpits, coming to rest at the bottom of his shoulders. But he was slippery and drenched like he had gotten caught in the previous early evening rain. A scent of copper hit her nose and she froze. Not just rain then.

A cold nose brushed by her neck and damp breaths caused her to shiver. "I'm-I'm so sorry Kagome… I… I just needed…"

He lifted a shaking hand to her shoulder. His whole body was shaking, actually, she realized. He slipped on something and they almost fell to the floor.

Suddenly all of her Feudal Era experience burst from the box she had locked it in. She had become soft, complacent in her own time when youkai were hidden and technology was sovereign. But now she remembered the adrenaline making her heart pump faster. It was an old friend.

With a grunt, she wrestled with Kouga's semi dead weight until she was taking the load of it on her right shoulder. Her right arm was clutching his heaving ribs while she held his limp left hand over her left shoulder. A clumsy kick and even messier fumbling closed and locked the front door. Then, after she had wrapped them in a reiki barrier to keep all sound from reaching the rest of the house, they made their slow way to Kagome's bedroom.

Kouga all but collapsed on her western style bed when she let him go. He grimaced in embarrassment, but it soon turned into one of extreme pain. Kagome's heart wrenched in sadness and horror, but she refused to panic. She had slipped into almost another persona. Calculating, she would get the job done first then worry about her friend later.

She turned to leave and Kouga caught her wrist in a firm grip. He sent a desperate, animalistic glance her way.

"I'll come back." She promised fiercely, answering the plea in his eyes. "I'm coming back and I am going to take care of you."

He gave a high pitched whine. Something in her demeanor must have reached him, though. Letting her go, his hazy gaze tracked her as she walked out her door.

She made a stop at the linen closet, her bathroom and the kitchen before returning. Towels and an overstocked first aid kit were tucked under one arm, a bowl full of water in the other. She didn't meet his gaze. Couldn't. If she did, she might remember this was her friend and she might just remember how many of those she had lost over the years.

She saw him as a patient instead. As she cut off his shirt and sopped up the blood that was oozing from his side, she refused to look into his eyes. He was panting and staring her straight in the face, looking at her cool detachment. They never spoke, not even when Kagome moved onto sterilizing a needle with a pocket lighter. The wound was deep, but already it was healing. All she needed to do was close it so the bleeding would stop or keep the wound from closing up on the gauze she would place over it later.

When she had gotten back, she had gotten a hold of Hojo who jumped at the chance of spending time with Kagome. Everything she asked about, he had taught her. He was a medical student, well on his way to becoming a doctor. She had seen his knowledge and knew that if even if she never went back to the Feudal Era, the experience had taught her the importance of being prepared.

Kagome had tried not to use Hojo. But when he got too enthusiastic about her attention, she had to put her foot down. They were still friends, but he had finally moved on. It was good for him. He had a girlfriend and Kagome suspected that the woman would one day become his wife. She was happy for him.

Someone needed to get over the past.

Speaking of the past, Kagome glanced over at her charge carefully threaded the needle. The only thing that betrayed how fast her heart was beating was her shaking hands. She could feel his gaze on the side of her face and it burned.

When everything was ready, she took a fortifying breath and looked down at Kouga.

"I'm going to close your wounds." The miko stated, holding up the needle. "Are you ready?"

He said nothing, just stared at her with those incendiary eyes of his. When she moved towards the wound, his hand caught hers. He snarled with a ferocity that shocked her. Kagome had to keep her reiki in check as his youki buffeted angrily against her.

She recognized what was happening as she matched his glare. He was trying to protect himself, more animal than man now. Not knowing how else to deal with it, she placed her hand over his.

"I'm trying to help you." Kagome stated firmly. "You _need_ to let me help you."

Something shifted. His façade broke as another whine escaped his throat. It was so plaintive that it hurt her.

"I won't harm you." She promised.

He let go and she sighed. With a focused expression, she started on her task.

**oOo**

He was sleeping. It was early morning but still dark. After stitching his wounds, she had realized just how dirty he was. It also hit her who exactly was lying on his bed. It was _Kouga_ and the thought that he was so hurt terrified her. Her whole body had started shaking and she looked down at Kouga plaintively.

"Please go to sleep," she had begged. She didn't want the wolf demon to see her fall apart at his bedside. He had caught her hand, nuzzled it and then proceeded to do what she asked.

Looking at him under her light, she saw that her work was not done. Blood was soaking into his jeans and he was muddy everywhere. With a lot of blushing and careful maneuvering, she had taken off his clothes and his shoes, leaving only his underpants to cover his modesty.

_Not that the old Kouga would have really minded_, she joked mentally.

It hit her then, after she had finished giving him a spot bath and managed to finagle him under fresh sheets. Kagome reached up and brushed his bangs off of his forehead. This youkai lying on her bed was a completely different person. He was not the rash Prince who could not take a hint. He was grown now, with different problems and a different way of handling things. She did not think the old Kouga would have come to her so vulnerable. He tried so hard to always be strong in front of her.

But this new Kouga… She appreciated it. He had come to her when he knew he was going to look weak. Her hand passed through his hair one more time and he gave a snuffling sigh. With one last lingering look, she turned off the light and walked out of the room.

**oOo**

Kagome grimaced as she stirred. When she and Souta had been little, they used to love sleeping on the guest futon downstairs. Now, she lamented the loss of her mattress. Somehow, lying on the thin futon had lost its appeal pretty quickly.

She went to the bathroom to change and brush her teeth before taking a glass of water up to her room. Opening the door as quietly as she could, she crept in. Kagome had only gotten a few hours of sleep, but she couldn't stay away from her patient for long. Last night, she had been so painfully worried for him.

It had not been necessarily because she was afraid that she would lose another friend. No, she had been afraid that she would lose _him_. He had become a constant in her life. At first, he had been a welcome blast from the past. Now he had turned into a different entity. Kouga was this strange new creature that had made her appreciate just being _alive_ again.

The thought of losing him…

She pursed her lips together before looking at Kouga's still form. He had turned to his side in the night, curled around his wounds. His clothes had been unsalvageable, but she had borrowed a shirt from her grandpa and a pair of sweats from the surprisingly tall Souta. She placed the water on the table by her bed and the clothes on the end of the bed. When her job was done, she attempted to sneak out again.

He caught her. His hand clutched at her pants fabric at her hips and his claws stuck into the material.

The priestess turned to the demon. He stared impassively at her. That blankness had shocked her but his voice was full of emotion.

"Stay." He asked in a gravelly voice that keenly made her think of how this man was a _demon_. "Please," he amended.

Kagome frowned. She couldn't stay. Not when she was becoming so aware of him. She opened her mouth to inform him of his but his hand clenched and he buried his head into her pillow. A small groan of pain escaped him.

"Sorry," he said and let her go. "That wasn't fair."

She huffed. It was not his job to take care of _her_.

"Scoot over," she commanded.

He did but did not go far. "You have a small bed," he mumbled. His eyes were closed and he could not seem to keep them open.

She snorted softly and eased herself under the covers. Wriggling a bit to make herself comfortable, she looked up at him.

"It's not like I ever have _guests_."

One eye peeked open and he gave an amused-if tired-grin. "Good."

She rolled her eyes and caught his hands in hers. They were warm and she tucked them under her chin. They were extremely close and their feet were touching, but Kagome was okay with it. There was no pressure, just two people comforting each other. Kouga's grin melted into a contented look as he melted into her bed.

"Thank you." He whispered.

"You're welcome." She whispered back.

**oOo**

At some point Hanako had come in. Apparently she had not thought the worst… Or maybe she had. All the bloodied sheets and clothes had been swept out of the corner and there was now a wad of fresh bandages, pain pills and steaming tea with two cups on the nightstand. Kagome peered at it with hazy eyes before darting a glance at her clock. Noon. Most of the day was gone already.

She shifted and then realized that she was craning her neck around to see. Turning forward, she saw that Kouga had not let go of her hands. Instead their tangled fingers were clutched under his chin and he had pulled her so close, her forearms were touching his chest. Their legs were tangled and Kagome realized the only way that she was going to get up was if he woke up. The warmth was nice, but she really needed to pee.

Thankfully, he woke up before she needed to debate whether to jostle him or not. He yawned, showing off his impressive fangs. Kagome was pleased to note that the color was back in his face.

"Hello," she greeted softly.

"Ah," he opened his eyes and grinned at her. His energy seemed to be back. "Hello." He stretched out his legs, freeing hers. "Thank you."

She shrugged it off but he ignored her nonchalance. Pulling her in, he leaned towards her until their noses were almost touching. She swallowed the sudden knot in her throat.

"Thank. You." He declared.

Kagome gave him a dazzling smile. "I'm just glad you're okay." She breathed.

He beamed and gathered her into a hug, his injuries now forgotten. He lay on his back and pulled her onto his chest. They could both hear how fast each other's hearts were beating. Kagome stayed there for a moment, enjoying their combined warmth and the feel of his chest underneath her hand.

Reluctantly, she pulled away. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" She questioned.

He sobered. "I'm going to tell you everything," he answered. "But first, do you mind if I take a shower?"

She laughed and nodded. "Feel free. I brought you some clothes that hopefully will fit you."

He raised a brow. "I noticed you were very quick to get me out of mine before."

Kagome would have pushed him out of her bed for that, but was afraid he was not all better yet. "Only because the mud was staining my sheets."

"Okay," he said like he didn't believe her.

"Just go shower."

**oOo**

**A/N: **So I made an oops. In the first chapter, there's a quote that talks about Kagome's "patched-up soul." That was a paraphrasing of a lovely line from Tally Mark's super hilarious story: _Impending Doom_, where Kagome talks about her "hand-me-down soul" and "hand-me-down face." I loved it so much I wrote it into my own fic. But I forgot to credit her, so now I am!


	5. Chapter 5

All Inuyasha properties belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just futzing around with her ideas.

As always, big thanks to: Someones Desire for reviewing. Also to: Kattana, fluffbons, ttcouplesluvver, 2featherbraids and Isis36 for placing this on their alerts. Also to: ttcouplesluvver for putting this on their favorites. Thanks guys!

*Note: Some of the concepts Kouga will talk about about are addressed in Draconic Ban-Sidhe's story: _Unsung Silence_. While the concepts themselves aren't new in European literature, I've never seen them incorporated in an Inuyasha story until then. While I did not copy, there are probably going to be similarities, unconscious or not. (If you like long Sess/Kag fics, you should check it out.)

Enjoy!

**oOo**

They were both cradling a cup of re-heated tea and sitting on Kagome's bed after they had both showered. Kouga took a few minutes, trying to figure out how to start. Words were never really his strong suit but he tried his best.

Youkai had made a new world for themselves. The emergence of humans was an annoyance for the once dominant species. When it was made clear that humans would _not_ be eradicated, the youkai had gone in search of a place where they did not have to deal with this new breed of pest. While humans had used their technologies to conquer the skies and what they could see, youkai used their magic and extra senses to turn their gazes inward. They discovered a new plane of existence. Kouga likened it to another dimension. It was still on earth, but it was a completely different world.

The youkai had migrated into this new place. It was perfect. Still wild and spacious, youkai could run and rule themselves without worrying about being eradicated. But their new space had to be protected. The way in was limited to four gates. Each Cardinal Lord had one, and for Sesshomaru's gate, Kouga had been asked to be Gatekeeper.

"I accepted. I still had some Pack on this side too. This way I could watch both halves of my people. Ginta oversees those across the Divide and Hakkaku keeps the Pack in line over here. I make sure the Pack has a good living everywhere. That grocery store we were at? That was mine. It's run solely by youkai and I have a few business holdings all over Japan. That way youkai are employed without having to worry about being discovered." Kouga thought carefully before addressing what had happened to him.

"On the other side… It's still like the Feudal Era. Kill or be killed. Unfortunately, some youkai think they would rather tear apart a human or two instead of each other. When that does happen, it's my job to stop them." He took a long sip of tea before continuing.

"The gate is not a physical thing. It's a spiritual force and my youki is all tied up in it. So when someone tries to pass when they're not authorized, it keeps them on their side and lets me know. Most often, it's a lost human or a nosy demon. And sometimes it's a pack out for blood."

Kagome had tried to be silent as he talked, but this time she couldn't hold in her gasp. He gave her a soft grin.

"It's just you?" She exclaimed.

He shrugged, not being prideful, just honest. "They're usually just knuckleheads. Pups or younglings with their heads too far up their ass to realize how much damage a gun can do. No one has gotten through. I have a perfect record," he declared, this time being prideful. He smiled sardonically at himself straight afterwards. "But sometimes they get a few licks in."

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "How often does…_this_ happen to you?"

Kouga winced under her gaze and shrugged. He thought of all the times he had dragged himself back to his apartment and spent an agonizing night alone. In those times, he missed the Pack the most. Waking up to another warm body and just being in a place full of people had been the best thing he had felt since he had accepted his job.

"It's a good deal," he defended.

"But… you're all alone?" She questioned.

Ouch. Kagome knew where to hit a wolf where it hurt. He couldn't help the grimace that stole across his face. Kagome stared at his canine teeth, fascinated.

"It's not a bad deal," he repeated.

Kagome let it go. They sat in tense silence for a few seconds, before she gasped. He snapped into alertness, looking around the room for the danger.

"What?" The demon asked sharply.

His friend gave him a sheepish smile. "Your tail is back." She admitted.

He looked down at the bedspread. There, between their knees, was his tail lying docilely between them. He looked down at his claws and when he spoke, his fangs were visible. His ears had also returned to their points too.

"Sorry."

"No," Kagome stopped him. "I was wondering why I could never see your tail."

He smiled. "Kagome," he chastised, "I can't let my youki go on a shrine. It's _rude_."

She giggled at his prim tone. "I promise, the owners don't mind." It was good to see him like this. No more secrets.

He flicked her with his tail. "Why thank you. But if I hadn't been healing, I probably would have not allowed my glamour to fall."

She waved it off. "Can I ask you another question, Kouga?"

He refilled his cup. "You don't have to ask that. Just do it."

She took a nervous breath. "Are you alone? I mean… is there anyone else that… that you can go home to?"

He froze. Why did she need to know? His heart started pounding as he weighed the implications of such a question. Did she _want_ to know?

"You mean romantically, then?"

A small bit of red crept up her neck, but she met his gaze steadily. "Maybe. Is there anyone that takes care of you?"

His instincts were clamoring so loud, he almost did not hear her. That was exactly what he wanted her to ask. It was a question a good potential mate would ask. He would provide protection and she would provide comfort and healing. A little old-fashioned maybe, but he was over five hundred. It was habit _and_ written into his DNA.

But still, he couldn't muck this one up.

He looked her straight in her eyes when he answered. "No."

"Why not? Haven't you found someone yet? I mean, it's been over five hundred years."

He hid his smile behind his cup. "Five hundred years honestly does not mean the same thing to me as it does to you. Sure, I have had a lot of time and I've met some women. But we age slower than you. If I look twenty-six that's because I probably have the physical maturity of a twenty-six year old. After that, I have many, many more years. No need to rush into things."

Kagome did not look convinced.

"Why aren't _you_ with someone?" He shot back.

Fair enough. She nodded her defeat then said firmly: "In that case, if _that_ ever happens again, you can come here..." The priestess thought of something. "You _should_ come here."

Kouga could not help himself. He grinned and used her arm to tug her over. He buried his face into her hair. "_Thank you._" He breathed.

**oOo**

On Mondays, they started going on field trips. Kouga took her to some of the businesses he owned, and some he didn't. She met a lot of youkai who were delighted to meet someone who remembered the "good old days." The fact that she was the Shikon Miko made them respect her even more.

Kouga had placed only youkai he trusted with his life as the managers of his businesses. He had a hand in everything from grocery stores to real estate. Kagome was sufficiently impressed and realized by the success of all of them, that he must be pretty rich.

"You own a lot of things." She stated the obvious.

Obvious or not, he still seemed a little embarrassed. "At the beginning, Sesshomaru would provide the capital. I was given shares in return for overseeing everything. After I had accumulated enough money myself, people started turning to me. The people that run these things have the ideas. It's their work, I just write the checks and make sure everything is squared away legally wise."

They had been sitting in the office of the tanuki who ran the market Kagome loved. The youkai had been delighted that the _Shikon Miko_ frequently patronized her store, and to Kagome's embarrassment, had rushed out to gather some free samples of everything the priestess had said she liked. The tanuki had shuffled in right on time to hear Kouga's capitulation.

"Don't listen to him!" The glamoured youkai had exclaimed, excitedly. She thrust free products into Kagome's arms so she could gesture widely at Kouga. "He has a fantastic business mind. If anyone starts failing, he cleans it up right fast. He's the exact person that you can go to if you need help. He-"

Kagome giggled at Kouga's blush as the older tanuki happily extolled Kouga's virtue.

"Seems you've got a fan." She whispered once they had escaped.

He decided not to respond.

oOo

The rest of Kagome's days were spent selling traditional medicines and they were actually a huge hit. Word of mouth served her well and even people from different cities came to see the miko. Her grandpa was over the moon. There were more and more visitors who actually did not mind hearing his stories or the abridged ones Kagome had told him. Even the gift shop revenue picked up and for the first time in years, their finances were finally in the black. Kouga was happy for them. A year passed.

Kagome also practiced her archery. The bow in her fingers felt like an old friend. She did not tell Kouga she was practicing. But she knew that when she finally proposed her plan, she would need to be convincing. Her determination made it so she was in top form in no time.

It was just as well, because when Kouga dragged himself into her house with his arm almost torn off, she could not hold her tongue any longer.

"There has got to be a better way to do this!" She huffed when she woke up and realized Kouga had migrated from her bed upstairs to tangle himself up in the guest futon with her.

Kouga looked abashed. "I'm sorry, I'll just-"

"No," she amended, placing a hand on his arm. "You can stay, but I _cannot_ let you go and guard such an important place by yourself."

He looked at her warily, not relaxing. "What do you mean?"

Her chin jutted out in stubbornness. "I mean that I am coming with you."

They fought about it repeatedly. Not because Kouga did not believe in her, he just wanted her out of danger for once. She retorted that all she knew was fighting. She was not the clumsy, gangly teen he used to know. She had grown and her abilities had matured. He had retorted by saying she had responsibilities to the shrine and that he did not fight all the time. There were times of peace where she was not needed.

Kouga forgot that it was next to impossible to win a fight with a woman, much less with _Kagome_.

"Exactly! You don't fight all the time. I'll just go with you when you sense someone is at the gate and come back afterwards." She said.

"No. It doesn't work that way." He stated, crossing his arms.

Kagome's stance shifted from combative to plaintive. "You need someone to have your back. You know I can do it. You wouldn't let anything happen to me, and I won't let anything happen to you."

Kouga's resolve broke. She did not realize that she was everything he wanted. She wanted to be _partners_ with him, which was perfectly in line with what his demon side was looking for in a mate. She had to be strong enough to bear his pups and contend with him. And she was. Kagome was a whirlwind of determination mixed with stunning kindness. The youkai community loved her. The human community loved her.

He loved her.

And he couldn't deny her a thing. He believed in her. So he took it up to Sesshomaru. The inuyoukai had simply raised a brow and told Kouga to do whatever he felt was best, but that miko powers intertwined with the gate's barrier would make it stronger than it had been since its foundation. The convoluted answer was Sesshomaru's new way of saying "yes."

Soon, the story of the Wolf Lord and the Shikon Miko guarding the gate became legend among the youkai. The other Lords were jealous of Sesshomaru's guardians and the Lord of the West was smug. There were hardly attacks after that, but their services were soon requested by other Gatekeepers. Kouga was proud of his partner and Kagome was glad hers was safe.

It took him another year to finally kiss her. They had been taking a much needed break under the Goshinboku with a meal of freshly made rice balls in between them. Kouga just couldn't take it anymore. So even while she was talking about a tourist she had met that day, he had pulled her over and melded his lips to hers. Six hundred odd years of experience or not, kissing someone you were truly committed to made the experience about a thousand times better. The Lord and Gatekeeper was immensely glad he was sitting down for that one.

They pulled apart, shocked at how brilliant a simple kiss could be. Kagome licked her lips and Kouga almost offered to do that for her. She spoke before he could.

"Does this mean that I'm your woman?" She joked breathlessly.

He laughed and pulled her close so he could bury his face in her hair. "Only if you want to be, Darling."

She just giggled in return and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. There they sat, with the wind sweeping their hair every which way. They had put the past aside and for the first time in a long time, were looking forward to the future.

They were ready.

**oOo**

And that is it. Hope you enjoyed it! If you did or did not, I would like to ask you to please leave a brief comment-if you please-about why. Thanks, I appreciate it. :)


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